Cargo volume at Oman's two big ports up 31pc

However, despite the rise in cargo handling, the number of ships calling at both the ports has dropped by 8 per cent in the same period.

The overall increase in the quantity of goods handled at the two ports has been attributed to the rise in loaded and unloaded goods at Mina Sultan Qaboos by 41.9 per cent to 1,759.3 tonnes by the end of May 2007, as against 1,239.9 tonnes during the corresponding period in 2006. Mina Sultan Qaboos is located in Muscat.

Goods handled at Salalah Port rose in terms of quantity by 16.5 per cent at the end of May 2007 to 1,094 million tonnes, against 938,900 tonnes during the same period in 2006.

Some of the important cargo handled at the two ports included foodstuff items, building and construction materials and vehicles.

A ministry of national economy bulletin stated that a total of 1,045 ships called at the two ports during the first five months this year constituting a drop of eight per cent from a total of 1136 vessels in 2006.

The number of vessels which anchored at Salalah Port fell by 21.2 per cent to 271 ships by the end of May 2007, compared to 344 ships during the corresponding period in 2006, while the number of vessels anchored at Mina Sultan Qaboos fell by 2.3 per cent to 774 ships by end of May 2007, compared to 792 ships during the same period in 2006.